The global epidemiology and health burden of the autism spectrum: findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021
The global epidemiology and health burden of the autism spectrum: findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021
Background: high-quality estimates of the epidemiology of the autism spectrum and the health needs of autistic persons are necessary for services planners and resource allocators. This paper presents the global prevalence and health burden of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021 following improvements to the epidemiological data and burden estimation methodology.
Methods: epidemiological estimates for ASD were sourced from systematic reviews. Eligible estimates were used to estimate prevalence via a Bayesian meta-regression tool (DisMod-MR 2.1). Modelled prevalence and disability weights were used to estimate health burden in years lived with disability (YLDs) as the measure of non-fatal health burden and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) as the measure of overall health burden. Data by ethnicity was not available. People with lived experience were involved in the design, preparation, interpretation, and writing of this manuscript.
Findings: an estimated 61·8 million (95% UI: 52·1–72·7) individuals (1 in every 127 persons) were on the autism spectrum globally in 2021. The global age-standardised prevalence rate was 788·3 (663·8–927·2) per 100 000 people. ASD accounted for 11·5 million (7·8–16·3) DALYs, equivalent to 147·6 (100·2–208·2) DALYs per 100 000 persons (age-standardised) and was ranked within the top ten for non-fatal health burden for youth under 20 years of age.
Interpretation: the high prevalence and rank for non-fatal health burden in youth underscores the importance of early detection and support to autistic youths and their caregivers globally. Moreover, persisting health burden during adulthood calls for more consideration into how our health response must evolve across the lifespan. Work to improve the precision and global representation of our findings is required, starting with better global coverage of epidemiological data so that variations across location can be better ascertained. The work presented here can guide future research efforts and importantly decisions surrounding allocation of health services that better address the unique needs of all autistic individuals.
Funding: Queensland Health and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
111-121
Cortese, Samuele
53d4bf2c-4e0e-4c77-9385-218350560fdb
Global Burden of Disease Study 2021 Autism Spectrum Collaborators
21 January 2025
Cortese, Samuele
53d4bf2c-4e0e-4c77-9385-218350560fdb
Global Burden of Disease Study 2021 Autism Spectrum Collaborators
(2025)
The global epidemiology and health burden of the autism spectrum: findings from the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021.
Lancet Psychiatry, 12 (2), .
(doi:10.1016/S2215-0366(24)00363-8).
Abstract
Background: high-quality estimates of the epidemiology of the autism spectrum and the health needs of autistic persons are necessary for services planners and resource allocators. This paper presents the global prevalence and health burden of autism spectrum disorder (ASD) from the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors Study (GBD) 2021 following improvements to the epidemiological data and burden estimation methodology.
Methods: epidemiological estimates for ASD were sourced from systematic reviews. Eligible estimates were used to estimate prevalence via a Bayesian meta-regression tool (DisMod-MR 2.1). Modelled prevalence and disability weights were used to estimate health burden in years lived with disability (YLDs) as the measure of non-fatal health burden and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) as the measure of overall health burden. Data by ethnicity was not available. People with lived experience were involved in the design, preparation, interpretation, and writing of this manuscript.
Findings: an estimated 61·8 million (95% UI: 52·1–72·7) individuals (1 in every 127 persons) were on the autism spectrum globally in 2021. The global age-standardised prevalence rate was 788·3 (663·8–927·2) per 100 000 people. ASD accounted for 11·5 million (7·8–16·3) DALYs, equivalent to 147·6 (100·2–208·2) DALYs per 100 000 persons (age-standardised) and was ranked within the top ten for non-fatal health burden for youth under 20 years of age.
Interpretation: the high prevalence and rank for non-fatal health burden in youth underscores the importance of early detection and support to autistic youths and their caregivers globally. Moreover, persisting health burden during adulthood calls for more consideration into how our health response must evolve across the lifespan. Work to improve the precision and global representation of our findings is required, starting with better global coverage of epidemiological data so that variations across location can be better ascertained. The work presented here can guide future research efforts and importantly decisions surrounding allocation of health services that better address the unique needs of all autistic individuals.
Funding: Queensland Health and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
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The global epidemiology and health burden of the autism spectrum
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1-s2.0-S2215036624003638-main
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e-pub ahead of print date: 19 December 2024
Published date: 21 January 2025
Additional Information:
Copyright © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd. This is an Open Access article under the CC BY 4.0 license. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.
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Local EPrints ID: 497861
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/497861
ISSN: 2215-0366
PURE UUID: c09daa8f-ffc6-4e7c-a152-0d389ed17b0f
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Date deposited: 03 Feb 2025 17:55
Last modified: 22 Aug 2025 02:12
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Corporate Author: Global Burden of Disease Study 2021 Autism Spectrum Collaborators
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